Kindle British Mystery Book Club discussion

I am 54% done, thanks to driving 160 miles today. Definitely a novel of psychological suspense, but so far nothing of an actual crime & the strength of zStephen's hatred of Catherine seems excessive.

After ch. 40 we're beginning to see that Stephen is a major nut case & at least some of his plot is becoming evident. This is the second book i've read where things happen in an ICU that are simply unbelievable. No, you can't kill an ICU pt simply by strolling in & pulling out tubes even if the staff let you, which they wouldn't. Those things have alarms on them as well as monitors. That's why it's called an ICU! Also, I think I've sussed out how the revealing photos were taken - we'll see if I'm right.

In ch. 51 Catherine tells the story about how his son raped her to Stephen. It is extremely moving & makes the reader very angry @ Jon & happy he's dead. But I shall be surprised (& quite embarrassed) if it doesn't turn out to be moonshine.

What I found very difficult to understand was Robert's instant
believe that Catherine MUST HAVE done everything some nut job
wrote about and made himself totally unavailable to her, pouting I guess.
Would be interested in how many reader's "went along" with
Stephen B,'s tale until the reveal. I did.

David wrote: "Finished book and have to say it shows what a good cover blurb can do in dragging you in to thinking what a great idea and read this will be. Unfortunately while the idea was great the read was ave..."

Absolutely right, David. I should have my review up soon & will agree this one was indeed a disappointing effort. It tries to be a mystery story & a domestic drama simultaneously, but lacks the plot required for a whodunit as well as the depth & believable characters for a family tragedy. But I found Stephen the most odious & despicable narrator we'e encountered since - what was that book last year about the serial killer who kidnaps women & hunts them with bow & arrow? That bad!

I so wanted another twist. Catherine's account of the rape seemed just too obvious to be a shock. True, we do get a coupleof small twists, that Catherine found herself pregnant & had an abortion & the final one that Nick had been a witness. (Is that what Freud called 'a primal scene'?) I'd not claim I'd anticipated both, but the possibliies had crossed my mind. Also though Stephen's attempts to make amends by remembering Catherine in his will were too pathetic & too late; what a scumbag!